Weeden makes adjustment to NFL

Quarterback Brandon Weeden is using the offseason OTAs to learn the Browns offense and sharpen his skills.

New Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden views his repetitions during the rookie minicamp and organized team activities as opportunities to better his throwing of the football and himself as a leader in the huddle.

The Browns returned to the practice fields at their Berea headquarters Wednesday for the fourth of 10 OTA sessions and continued their situational work. Wednesday’s focus was on a two-minute offense.

“I made some good throws, did some good things, but the two-minute was all new,” Weeden said. “We went over it yesterday and it was all new stuff and it wasn’t as fast-paced as I would like because we’re all thinking about it.”

Since coming to the Browns, Weeden has had to adjust to taking snaps under center. He spent nearly all of his last two years at Oklahoma State University in the Shotgun formation. While he is used to moving the offense up the field quickly, Weeden has also been learning the terminology in the Browns’ West Coast offense.

One of the things that has eased Weeden’s transition from college to the NFL has been “just throwing the football.”

“I’m not afraid of throwing the ball down the field,” Weeden said. “I’m not afraid of squeezing it in tight windows. I think that it’s something that I’ve always had a lot of confidence in, so it’s been an easier transition.”

Having a wide receiver like Greg Little has also aided in Weeden’s transition.

Little was the Browns’ leading receiver with 61 receptions for 709 yards and two touchdowns during his rookie season last fall. Little, who said Wednesday that he dropped 11 pounds and feels faster than last year, reminds Weeden of his former Oklahoma State teammate, Justin Blackmon.

Blackmon was a first-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars this past April.

“They are big body guys, big hands and strong,” Weeden said. “You can tell when Greg catches it, he’s strong with the football and that’s the way that Justin was. I haven’t really thrown much with Greg, we’ve been in two different groups, but the more I see him, I’ll tell you what, he can play. He can really, really go get it. He’s going to be a fun guy to throw to.”

While learning a new set of terms on offense and studying his teammates’ tendencies when coming out of breaks has taken some time, Weeden was a quick study when it came to his new hometown. When asked about Cleveland being a football town, Weeden said, “It’s great.”

He added, “That’s the way it should be. I’ve really enjoyed my time so far in Cleveland. I haven’t even found a place to live yet and I enjoy it, so that’s a good thing. I like it here so far. Obviously, the people are great. I was back in Tulsa playing in a golf tournament on Monday, a Pro-Am-type deal, and there were about four or five people in Browns jerseys. There were about 20 to 25 people who came up to me and said they were Browns fans back in Tulsa. They are everywhere, which is good. It’s exciting to be a part of that. What a great community and city.”